Extract

In a one-day symposium, with its limitation on the number of speakers, all aspects of the elfects of the two world wars could not be covered. Moreover, although the average age of first-hand speakers was inevitably high, some who could have contributed are still so actively involved in science that they were absent on a Royal Society Delegation to China. But there was one subject that we intended until almost the last moment to treat at much gieater length. This was operational research, and Lord Blackett had undertaken to speak about it. Shortly before the meeting he found that ill health would prevent him from doing so; and the gap could not be repaired in time. I t was a m atter of profound regret to all of us who knew how much he had done to establish the techniques of operational research and gain its acceptance by the Armed Services: this regret is even deeper in retrospect because Lord Blackett’s illness has since led to his death. And another central figure in operational research, Dr A. C. Menzies, who as Group Captain Menzies headed the Operational Research Centre in the Air Ministry and who spoke at our discussion, has also since died.

Footnotes

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